On July 13th, TUJ LEAD organized the Ainu Artistry event in the Parliament to celebrate Ainu culture, the indigenous people in Northern Japan. The event provided an opportunity for students to learn about Ainu culture through a documentary screening and an embroidery workshop using Ainu patterns.
The event began with a quick Kahoot in which participants tested their knowledge on Ainu culture and the different ethnic groups in Japan. Students learned unique Ainu words such as iyairaykere, which means Thank you, and kamuy that refers to a spiritual or divine being in Ainu mythology. After having a deeper understanding of Ainu culture, participants watched a short documentary, Future is MINE – Ainu My Voice, that explores the struggles of Rie Kayano, a modern Ainu woman as she attempts to find a balance between modern life and her Ainu identity. Kayano experienced discrimination and bullying for her indigenous roots, causing her to despise her heritage. The documentary follows Kayano’s journey to Florida to meet with the Seminole, a native American people. Through interacting with the Seminole, Kayano comes to fully accept and regain pride in her identity, beginning her journey to share the culture with the world. The event concluded with a hands-on embroidery event of sewing a horn-stich pattern using different Ainu designs. While many students found the embroidery challenging at first, the participants soon got a hang of it and were able to complete sewing their pattern on the canvas.
Despite taking place during one of the busiest times of the semester, about 30 students gathered to enjoy and learn Ainu culture while connecting with other students. Through this event, we hope that students rediscovered how diverse Japan is, a home to different cultures, languages and peoples. TUJ LEAD continues to organize engaging cultural events to advocate for different identities and foster an inclusive community where all TUJ members feels a sense of belonging and knows that their voce is valued.
Iyairaykere all for joining the event!